Buffalo pelt help!?

[hylander]

I got a hold of a nice piece of buffalo hair on hide which was in need of some cleaning. Per some instructions I found on Xmark I rinsed (soaked actaully) in cold water and hair conditioner to help soften hair some. The end result is the hair is much nicer, but now the hide is stiff as a board. I was wondering if anyone could suggest how to get the hide back to a more workable state. I had used the rince method on a piece of hair on goat hide and didn't end up with the hardened hide, so I am confused. Any help would be appriciated!

[Tobus]

That's common with any type of leather or hide. When you soak it (like they do when wet-forming to shape), it will dry out stiffened in that shape. To soften it up again, you'll need to oil it.

[T-Bone]

Was the hide tanned or was it rawhide?

[hylander]

Not sure? The hide was fairly supple when I got it a bit stiff but workable. The wetting of it seemed to really make it rigid.

[tyger]

Great find. While you can use several oils to soften the hide, I suspect you don't have those on hand or else you would have done the job already.

Taxidermy shops sell hide softener. VanDykes is one supplier; they have a toll-free number. I suggest that you call them, ask to speak to a taxidermist, and tell him/her the plain and simple truth. They will tell you exactly what you need to get. The softeners contain oil and surfactants and do the best job that can be done.

Good luck with you project. A few bucks are well worth investing in a nice piece of hide.

[hylander]

I took your advie and contacted VanDyke and this was their response:

According to our taxidermist on staff the hide will have to be pulled and worked to regain the softness. After leather becomes wet when it dries if becomes stiff. You will have to work out the stiffness manually. Any product that you put on it will cause the hair to become greasy.

So, I guess I got to do some pulling and workin'!

[Tobus]

Oiling it from the back side will help in this process. I agree with them, you don't want to oil the hair side. But a healthy application of oil to the rough side will help soften it up for you to work it.

[tyger]

I took your advie and contacted VanDyke and this was their response:

According to our taxidermist on staff the hide will have to be pulled and worked to regain the softness. After leather becomes wet when it dries if becomes stiff. You will have to work out the stiffness manually. Any product that you put on it will cause the hair to become greasy.

So, I guess I got to do some pulling and workin'!

When you work the hide, make sure that you put the softener on the flesh side of the skin, not the hair side. Work the hide over a dull metal edge: I have used a disc for that, it is superior to an old axe or hatchet head:

[Kaw-Liga]

I remember being told about softening a dried (tanned) deer hide by working it over the end of a smooth post in the ground and trying to stretch the hide. This was a physical method and did not use any softening chemicals. Google found the following:

http://www.manataka.org/page27.html

Stretching and Softening: The key is to keep the fibers moving as it dries so they do not re-align the fibers. You can use a cable, or a rope, even the back of a chair. We have good luck stretching it by hand and abrading it with a rock.

[hylander]

Thanks for all the Suggestions!

I was confused about the oiling thing, I wasn't sure what oiling the skin side would do the hair on the reverse side. It never crossed my mind that they thought I might apply oil to the hair side, even to a novice like me that would be an obvious no-no, I was just talking about exposed hide side.

So if I am stretching it I would re-wet the hide or can I do that dry too?

Thanks again!